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| Version 9 | Version 10 |
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| Restart for 'Big Bang' experiment | Restart for 'Big Bang' experiment |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment has been re-started after a hiatus of 14 months. | The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment has been re-started after a hiatus of 14 months. |
| Engineers have now made two stable proton beams circulate in opposite directions around the machine. | Engineers have now made two stable proton beams circulate in opposite directions around the machine. |
| If all continues to go well, the team might even try to increase the collider's energy to record-breaking levels this weekend. | If all continues to go well, the team might even try to increase the collider's energy to record-breaking levels this weekend. |
| The LHC is housed in a 27km-long circular tunnel built about 100m beneath the French-Swiss border. | The LHC is housed in a 27km-long circular tunnel built about 100m beneath the French-Swiss border. |
| The experiment is designed to smash together beams of protons in a bid to shed light on the nature of the Universe. | The experiment is designed to smash together beams of protons in a bid to shed light on the nature of the Universe. |
| Among other things, scientists will search for signs of the Higgs boson, a sub-atomic particle that is crucial to our current understanding of physics. Although it is predicted to exist, scientists have never found it. | Among other things, scientists will search for signs of the Higgs boson, a sub-atomic particle that is crucial to our current understanding of physics. Although it is predicted to exist, scientists have never found it. |
| Dozens of giant superconducting magnets that accelerate the particles at the speed of light have had to be replaced after faults developed just days after the collider was inaugurated last year. | Dozens of giant superconducting magnets that accelerate the particles at the speed of light have had to be replaced after faults developed just days after the collider was inaugurated last year. |
| Operated by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern), the LHC will create similar conditions to those which were present moments after the Big Bang. | Operated by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern), the LHC will create similar conditions to those which were present moments after the Big Bang. |
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| Particle physicist Jim Virdee says that scientists are excited that the LHC is coming back online | Particle physicist Jim Virdee says that scientists are excited that the LHC is coming back online |
| "It's great to see beams circulating in the LHC again," said Cern's director-general Rolf Heuer. | "It's great to see beams circulating in the LHC again," said Cern's director-general Rolf Heuer. |
| "We've still got some way to go before physics can begin, but with this milestone we're well on the way." | "We've still got some way to go before physics can begin, but with this milestone we're well on the way." |
| Engineers sent their first beam all the way round the LHC's circumference after 1930 GMT on Friday. | Engineers sent their first beam all the way round the LHC's circumference after 1930 GMT on Friday. |
| The beams themselves are made up of "packets" - each about a metre long - containing billions of protons. But they would disperse if left to their own devices. | The beams themselves are made up of "packets" - each about a metre long - containing billions of protons. But they would disperse if left to their own devices. |
| Electrical forces had to be used to "capture" the protons. This keeps them tightly huddled in packets, for a stable, circulating beam. | Electrical forces had to be used to "capture" the protons. This keeps them tightly huddled in packets, for a stable, circulating beam. |
| Engineers had not been expected to try for a circulating beam before 0600 GMT on Saturday. | |
| James Gillies, Cern's director of communications, told BBC News: "It happened faster than anyone could have dreamed of." | James Gillies, Cern's director of communications, told BBC News: "It happened faster than anyone could have dreamed of." |
| "Everything went very smoothly." | "Everything went very smoothly." |
| Record attempt | Record attempt |
| Dr Gillies said that if everything continued to go well, Cern might try to reach a record-breaking beam energy of 1.2 trillion electron volts this weekend. | Dr Gillies said that if everything continued to go well, Cern might try to reach a record-breaking beam energy of 1.2 trillion electron volts this weekend. |
| Only the Tevatron particle accelerator in Chicago, US, has approached this energy, operating at just under one trillion electron volts. | Only the Tevatron particle accelerator in Chicago, US, has approached this energy, operating at just under one trillion electron volts. |
| But other team members want to keep the beam circulating at low energy and try for the machine's first proton beam collisions. | But other team members want to keep the beam circulating at low energy and try for the machine's first proton beam collisions. |
| The LHC's tunnel runs for 27km under the Franco-Swiss border | |
| "The LHC is a far better understood machine than it was a year ago," said Steve Myers, Cern's director for accelerators. | "The LHC is a far better understood machine than it was a year ago," said Steve Myers, Cern's director for accelerators. |
| "We've learned from our experience, and engineered the technology that allows us to move on. That's how progress is made." | "We've learned from our experience, and engineered the technology that allows us to move on. That's how progress is made." |
| There are some 1,200 superconducting magnets which form the LHC's main "ring". | There are some 1,200 superconducting magnets which form the LHC's main "ring". |
| These magnets bend proton beams in opposite directions around the tunnel at close to the speed of light. | These magnets bend proton beams in opposite directions around the tunnel at close to the speed of light. |
| At allotted points around the tunnel, the proton beams cross paths, smashing into one another with enormous energy. Large "detector" machines located at the crossing points will scour the wreckage of these collisions for discoveries that should extend our knowledge of physics. | At allotted points around the tunnel, the proton beams cross paths, smashing into one another with enormous energy. Large "detector" machines located at the crossing points will scour the wreckage of these collisions for discoveries that should extend our knowledge of physics. |
| 1 - 14 quadrupole magnets replaced2 - 39 dipole magnets replaced3 - More than 200 electrical connections repaired4 - Over 4km of beam pipe cleaned5 - New restraining system installed for some magnets6 - Hundreds of new helium ports being installed around machine7 - Thousands of detectors added to early warning system | 1 - 14 quadrupole magnets replaced2 - 39 dipole magnets replaced3 - More than 200 electrical connections repaired4 - Over 4km of beam pipe cleaned5 - New restraining system installed for some magnets6 - Hundreds of new helium ports being installed around machine7 - Thousands of detectors added to early warning system |
| Engineers first circulated a beam all the way around the LHC on 10 September 2008. | Engineers first circulated a beam all the way around the LHC on 10 September 2008. |
| But just nine days later, an electrical fault in one of the connections between superconducting magnets caused a tonne of liquid helium to leak into the tunnel. | But just nine days later, an electrical fault in one of the connections between superconducting magnets caused a tonne of liquid helium to leak into the tunnel. |
| Liquid helium is used to cool the LHC to its operating temperature of 1.9 kelvin (-271C; -456F). | Liquid helium is used to cool the LHC to its operating temperature of 1.9 kelvin (-271C; -456F). |
| The machine has been shut down ever since the accident, to allow repairs to take place. | The machine has been shut down ever since the accident, to allow repairs to take place. |
| Professor Norman McCubbin, from the UK's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Didcot, added: "I'm sure every particle physicist has been feeling just a little bit impatient as the 're-start' of the LHC has drawn nearer. It's great to see beams circulating again." | Professor Norman McCubbin, from the UK's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Didcot, added: "I'm sure every particle physicist has been feeling just a little bit impatient as the 're-start' of the LHC has drawn nearer. It's great to see beams circulating again." |
| The damage caused to the collider meant 53 superconducting magnets had to be replaced and about 200 electrical connections repaired. | The damage caused to the collider meant 53 superconducting magnets had to be replaced and about 200 electrical connections repaired. |
| Engineers have also been installing a new early warning system which could prevent incidents of the kind which shut down the experiment. | Engineers have also been installing a new early warning system which could prevent incidents of the kind which shut down the experiment. |
| Cern has spent some 40m Swiss Francs (£24m) on repairs to the collider. | Cern has spent some 40m Swiss Francs (£24m) on repairs to the collider. |
| Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk | Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk |